Sadly, my parents are not here anymore. They both died at an early age.

I read everyone's stories about their parents, and I find them sad. I had a great relationship with both of my parents. I came from a home where I saw my father treat my mother with much love and kindness. She, in turn, gave it right back to my father. There were four of us kids. I am the oldest. I saw alot and I remember more than the other 3. But, my two brothers and my sister had the same relationship with my parents that I did. We respected our parents, they had they last word. They raised us to be responsible, respectable adults. Never did myself, or my siblings go through that stage that I hear of, where you hate your parents. It just wasn't so in our family.

When my father died first, pretty much my world and that of my mothers and siblings fell apart. My dad went to work and never came home. He died at age 58 of a heart attack. I was 32. My mother died 2 years later. She was a smoker, so it was the combination of emphysema and a broken heart.

My life was just never the same after my parents died. To this day I still get the urge to go to the phone and call them. It's been 20 years since my dad has been gone, and 18 since my mother has been gone.

I'm grateful I had the childhood I did. I am sorry that I read that others did not have such wonderful childhoods. It's foreign to me, when I read your stories of how you dislike your parents, and how parents dislike their children.

I have taken what my parents taught me, and that is how I raised my two children. My children and I have a wonderful relationship. Neither one of them ever gave me any kind of trouble or disrespect. It was not in our reality.

I talk to both of my children everyday. They are out of the house now, but we see each other at least once a week, and call about once a day.

I maintain a great relationship with them. That fact tends to upset a number of explicitly anti-Satanism people I've met, namely because it shatters their hypothesis as to what "made" me a Satanist.

Good point, I have come across this myself a few times. There is often the assumption that turning to satanism is somehow a cry for help or an indication of trying to forget a bad or abusive childhood, or is somehow a sign of not being able to maintain a good relationship with family and/or friends. I have had and continue to have a good relationship with my parents and my extended family.I think Bill Hicks summed it up best :-

"My momma never hit me and my daddy never fucked me, thought I would get that out of the way first".

_________________________
Man: An animal so lost in rapturous comtemplation of what he thinks he is as to overlook what he indubitably ought to be - Ambrose Bierce - The Devil's Dictionary.

Alice laughed. "There's no use trying," she said, "one can't believe impossible things.""I daresay you haven't had much practice," said the Queen. "When I was younger, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast." - Lewis Carroll, Through the looking glass.

My mother has been, spare about a six-year period, an excellent parent -- though I've the feeling she has failed to remember discipline in an attempt to make up for those six years.

I really have nothing much good to say about my father. Even though he was a top paid Registered Nurse for all of my life, we almost never had any money. We lived in a decently sized home from when I was four to ten. The first several years were spent with no furniture spare beds and lawn-chairs to watch a television that sat on the floor.

This guy was making 120K a year.

We had no money.

He was spending it on cigarettes, booze, and mistresses while simultaneously starting a family.

Eventually he dumped my mother, after getting her pregnant thrice, and left her to push herself through college (he had apparently knocked her up at 21, when she had no education), and nursing school herself, to later become an RN.

Curiously, even before she was an RN, we had a hell of alot more than we ever did -- and it sure as hell wasn't because of child support.

I would say the abuse I went through, which shall remain undescribed, did little to shape my views.

My mother has been, spare about a six-year period, an excellent parent -- though I've the feeling she has failed to remember discipline in an attempt to make up for those six years.

I really have nothing much good to say about my father. Even though he was a top paid Registered Nurse for all of my life, we almost never had any money. We lived in a decently sized home from when I was four to ten. The first several years were spent with no furniture spare beds and lawn-chairs to watch a television that sat on the floor.

This guy was making 120K a year.

We had no money.

He was spending it on cigarettes, booze, and mistresses while simultaneously starting a family.

Eventually he dumped my mother, after getting her pregnant thrice, and left her to push herself through college (he had apparently knocked her up at 21, when she had no education), and nursing school herself, to later become an RN.

Curiously, even before she was an RN, we had a hell of alot more than we ever did -- and it sure as hell wasn't because of child support.

I would say the abuse I went through, which shall remain undescribed, did little to shape my views.

But my mother showed self-reliance and stratification in action.

My stepdad was pretty bad on money too. He had lots of it. And alot of that was spent on my brother(his actual son) and his various hobbys. This isnt the same stepdad as the wife beating one though.

My real dad didnt step into the picture till I was 15. My stepdad raised me from the time I was 1 year old.

He would buy all sorts of stuff for my brother. Expensive model cars, sports equipment and the like.

But with me it was always as if his sole goal was to hinder me in all forms. He never bought me a single present. It was always my mother who did and put both their names on it. I was even around 6 or 7 offered to go to a school designed for the artsy kids because of my artistic talent and ability to read. He stoped my mom from leting me go, claiming that stuff was bullshit and not normal.

I sometimes look back on my life and wonder what would have happend if I had attended that school, or if my real father had been around.

What I do know is that my past experiences with my stepdad and real father have allowed me deep insight as to how to properly raise my children, if I have any.

My mother wasnt always bad though, it was really after she married her current husband that her sanity went. He has 2 sons, 7 and 9 when they got married, who are mentally handicapped. Their mother died some years back, and he basically put their care completely on my mother. The oldest actually went at her with a kitchen knife and told the teachers at school that she touched him in bad places. He doesnt live with them anymore, as the state took him away after relizing he was lieing and his father wouldnt do anything to help him properly. But the damage was done.

Its been a slow downhill ever since for her.

_________________________
"Being a good fiend is like being a photographer…you have to search for the right moment!" - Vegeta

Are you still good at art, do you still love creating art works? There is nothing stopping personal drive, but yourself. "What does not kill you, makes you stronger." Blaming any parent is pointless you miss your opportunities focusing on what others are doing to you, instead of you doing what you desire. That is the ultimate "test" of life, not being distracted from others from your drive and direction you want to go in life.

I have always loved different forms of created music styles, regardless of thoughts, actions, or personal views of the talented people creating the music. My passion fuels me in my endeavors. I did not turn out as a Robert Johnson, a Jimi Hendrix or a Eddie Van Halen, though I still pick up my guitar from time to time and I always end up surprising myself at my spontaneous musical creative side I have from the six string. I did not go professional into music but still do my own playing for my own enjoyment. I have had people try and hinder my progress but I went ahead anyway, my passion and what I wanted to do still fueled me to do things my way anyway.

The only regrets I have were not from my individual parents but not listening to my very talented and well learned Musical teacher, who could play any heard musical piece from ear and reproduce it on the spot, he was also able to play many different instruments. He could play the guitar both electric and acoustic including 6 and 12 string, Banjo, Violin, cello, stand up and electric Bass guitar, Drums, Piano both standard and electronic keys, he was also a very talented vocalists and could read music charts very, very well, he has a Masters degree in classical and musical theory. He had enough talent and education to conduct symphony size musical groups. If I had paid more attention to his direction to dedicate my personal studies to learning more in-depth of Music, I could have done anything with it I wanted to, I still can all I need to do is do it, I have the basics down enough to learn any piece of music or expand enough of myself to use my own style of playing, if I wish to learn some piece of music I can everything else comes from endless practice.

The only real person holding you back is yourself, everything else one does is just a passive excuse for not doing. You are not your parents actions, you are your own actions you take.

Are you still good at art, do you still love creating art works? There is nothing stopping personal drive, but yourself. "What does not kill you, makes you stronger." Blaming any parent is pointless you miss your opportunities focusing on what others are doing to you, instead of you doing what you desire. That is the ultimate "test" of life, not being distracted from others from your drive and direction you want to go in life.

I have always loved different forms of created music styles, regardless of thoughts, actions, or personal views of the talented people creating the music. My passion fuels me in my endeavors. I did not turn out as a Robert Johnson, a Jimi Hendrix or a Eddie Van Halen, though I still pick up my guitar from time to time and I always end up surprising myself at my spontaneous musical creative side I have from the six string. I did not go professional into music but still do my own playing for my own enjoyment. I have had people try and hinder my progress but I went ahead anyway, my passion and what I wanted to do still fueled me to do things my way anyway.

The only regrets I have were not from my individual parents but not listening to my very talented and well learned Musical teacher, who could play any heard musical piece from ear and reproduce it on the spot, he was also able to play many different instruments. He could play the guitar both electric and acoustic including 6 and 12 string, Banjo, Violin, cello, stand up and electric Bass guitar, Drums, Piano both standard and electronic keys, he was also a very talented vocalists and could read music charts very, very well, he has a Masters degree in classical and musical theory. He had enough talent and education to conduct symphony size musical groups. If I had paid more attention to his direction to dedicate my personal studies to learning more in-depth of Music, I could have done anything with it I wanted to, I still can all I need to do is do it, I have the basics down enough to learn any piece of music or expand enough of myself to use my own style of playing, if I wish to learn some piece of music I can everything else comes from endless practice.

The only real person holding you back is yourself, everything else one does is just a passive excuse for not doing. You are not your parents actions, you are your own actions you take.

"Do, or Do not, there is no try" Master Yoda.

Firstly, yoda is awesome.

And dont worry, I actually did end up pursuing my artistic ability's. I have a degree in computer graphic design now, and tend to dabble in a little bit of everything artistically. Writing, drawing, movie making, painting and putting together models. I am even thinking about geting into clay pottery once I have a larger home.

_________________________
"Being a good fiend is like being a photographer…you have to search for the right moment!" - Vegeta

My mom is sadly, a disorganized parasite. She can't keep a job and has to constantly borrow money from people. I feel horribly guilty for being a spacy kid who did stuff like crash her car throughout childhood and want to help her out without just putting a bandaid over her major financial issues. When I hear American liberals talk about how all cultures are equal and values are relative I just feel disgust.

Oh yeah and I got on satannet from her computer once and she flipped out. She said these are Satan's followers and to stay away from them. She said why not "angelnet.com?" She said "when those people ask you to bring a bone and a skull, that's when you will learn." It saddened me that she could be so narrow minded and ignorant. I expect that kind of stupidity from the masses but not from her. She doesn't really know me and she will die without really knowing the real me. She won't even be at my Satanic wedding which I will probably have. I have to masquerade around her.

Parents are strange creatures. I know this because I have two of my own, and I happen to be one. Your perspective changes when you find yourself in that role.

I have had my own issues with my parents. This is especially true with my mother. She had issues with her mother. Her mother walked away from her family when my mother was young. After going ten years without contact, my mother reformed a relationship with her mother. I never understood that. But, that is her.

But, I could list a pile of crap my mother pulled, and I still talk to her. Mostly because, since I became a parent, I know that she is just a person who did the best job she could. I take things as they are now. If she pulled any crap, I would have to call her on it. So, to answer your question, most of us probably have parents who put us through things. Everybody's things are different things, but things, none the less. I am sure I put my son through things. And, the way we handle these things is as individual as we are. We all do what we have to do. Our parents are not perfect. It is amazing that we allow them to form our psyches. All we can hope for is that we can break out of that, and take control.

I don't think I have ever engaged in an argument with my parents... Well this one time I got in one with my dad.. My parents are more wise than I, so I treat them with respect. In return, they don't bitch at me for still living with them.. hahahaha